Naruto : Life Despite Death
by NeolithicMonarch
Summary: Dark and light, good and evil, life and death. What happens when dark bleeds into light, the line between good and evil breaks, and most importantly, when the aspect of life and death blur together. Naruto/Bleach
1. Chapter 1

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Naruto: Life Despite Death --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Talking"

_'Thinking'_

**"Hollow Talking"**

_**'Hollow Thinking"**_

Zanpakuto Talking/Thinking

Neither Naruto nor Bleach belong to me. If they did, Sasuke would be dead, Naruto wouldn't be an idiot, and Ichigo would have a different ban-kai.

**A/N: Here we go, my reincarnation of Naruto, Life Beyond Death. Just to let you know, nothing in this story will really be like the original. The zanpakuto's, pairings (if there are any), etc will all probably be different. Thanks to all my readers for taking their time to read the stuff I loosely call stories.**

**This is not a canon Naruto timeline, so somethings will be different.**

**Its a tad shorter than I may like, and there may be some grammar and/or spelling mistakes, but I wanted to get something out to ya. Hope you like it!  
**

Chapter I : Endless Void, New Destiny

--

_'Torrents of sorrow transcend space and time, rising above the gods, only to be met with ones resolve and crushed under its weight.'_ were the thoughts of a boy, who looked around fifteen with blond hair, and ocean blue eyes as he floated through what looked like an endless black void.

He went by many names, Demon, Monster, Freak, but the name given to him by the two who were responsible for his existence was Naruto Uzumaki. Fate played a cruel role in the boy's life. On the day of his birth, the nine tailed fox spirt, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, attacked his village, Konoha. Facing imminent destruction, his father, Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage, sealed the great beast into him, condemning him to a life of hatred.

Even though nearly the entire village despised him for the demon he carried, he persevered, and eventually became a ninja. At the age of twelve, he graduated the ninja academy and became a genin ranked ninja and joined Team Seven which was comprised of himself, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha under the teacher Kakashi Hatake.

The team was, well, dysfunctional to say the least. They did the necessary number of missions and were soon entered into the chuunin exams, but that didn't mean they got along. Naruto would be the first to admit that he was a hyperactive idiot in his younger days. Sakura was a whiny fan-girl and Sasuke was the worst of all three, he was a power hungry fool. As the final part of the chunnin exam took place, Suna and Oto took Konoha by surprise and launched an attack. Many good ninja died that day, but no lose was felt harder than the death of the Sandaime Hokage, who was killed by his former student, the snake summoner, Orochimau.

After the battle, Naruto left with the Toad Sannin, Jiraya, to located the Slug Sannin Tsunade in order to convince her to become the Godaime Hokage. During the journey, he learned a new jutsu, which would soon become his favorite, called the Rasengan.

After finding Tsunade, and battling Orochimaru, who too wanted Tsunade's survives, they departed back to Konoha and Tsunade was named Hokage. Soon after, with the threat of a group of nine S-ranked missing-nin called Akatsuki, he and Jiraya left the village on a three year training trip.

The trip helped Naruto's skills immensely. The first couple months beat Naruto's idiotic nature out of him. A few months later and he had learned all the basic that he should have learned in the ninja academy but was never taught. The rest of the time was spent learning new jutsu and other ninja techniques.

Once the three years had passed, Naruto was undoubtedly jounin level. His chakra control had stabilized and his reserves only grew more massive as the time went by. He had finally hit his growth spurt and stood at a more respectable 5'10.

The most profound change however, was in his attitude. Reflection is a powerful tool, after thinking about the months he spent in Team 7, he could conclude one thing, it sucked. An avenger, a fan-girl and a clueless sensei, it was a bad combination. Sasuke has tried to kill him in cold blood, and he would have succeeded if not for the instance healing factor granted by the Kyuubi. He no longer felt the need, nor inclination to go after the traitorous Uchiha, at least in terms of bringing him back alive. No longer did he yearn for attention, he had his select group of friends and precious people, and as he thought about it, Sasuke had never been anything more than a condescending, verbally abusive team-mate. Sakura had never shown any care for him, and was often physically abusive to him. Sure he had promised her to bring him back, and if he ever found him then he would bring him back...in a body bag. As he learned in his travels, promises mean nothing in the ninja world. Kakashi was another matter altogether. He never did teach him anything, but then again, he didn't teach any of them. He was a elite ninja, no doubt about that, but he was also a terrible teacher. Sure he has ditched Naruto for the last stage of the chunnin exams, but with who Sasuke had to face, you couldn't really blame the guy to much.

Naruto gave a chuckle as he continued floating through the seemingly endless void, he felt so nostalgic, thinking about the past. With a sigh, he recalled the annoying events which brought him to his current predicament.

--(Flashback)--

"Uchiha" Naruto said calmly, standing on the Shodaime Hokage's head in the Valley of the End, wind whipping around him. He was wearing a pair of black shinobi pants, with a green chuunin style protective vest over it. Over said vest, he word a rush orange haori with red flames embroidered at the bottom.

"Uzumaki" the raven haired teenager across from him, who wore an open light blue shirt, growled back, his black eyes turning red and three black commas appearing. "Out of my way" he ordered "I will destroy Konoha." he yelled in insanity.

While the two figures looked physical fine, they were both exhausted. Sasuke had had to get through the Raikage just to get to the border and in doing so, had drained about half of his chakra reserves. Luckily for him, Karin had been lurking around to heal his wounds, and with her chakra sensing ability he was able to avoid the Tsuchikage and the garrison of ninja he brought with him.

Naruto on the other hand, had had a slight different fight. The Yonbi, the Four Tailed Demon Ape, a force of nature itself, Naruto attribute luck, as well the perfect elemental combination as the only reason he had scraped by. The Yonbi has the ability to use Youton, Lava Release jutsu. Seeing this, Yamato, who had been accompanying Naruto, had no choice to retreat, his Mokuton justu ineffective, leaving Naruto to face the foe alone.

Naruto gave a sigh as he saw the insanity in Sasuke's eyes. In an incredibly quick set of moments, he appeared on the statue across from him and with with a strong punch, send the avenger down into the river.

As he dropped down and stood on top of the water, Naruto caught sight of Sasuke pulling himself out and wiping some blood from his mouth.

"You'll pay for that" he hissed, sounding like the snakes he could summon. Drawing his chokuto from his back, he quickly charged the blond, insanity ever growing. "DIE!" He screamed as he pushed electricity through the blade, causing it to chirp with power.

In a flash, Naruto drew two kunai from his pouch, held them up in a defensive position and sent wind chakra into the blades.

!!!CLANG!!!

The sound of metal on metal resonated through the valley as both figures fought for dominance.

"You've gotten stronger dobe" Sasuke grunted out, trying not to show the strain he felt. Most of his time was spend on learning and refining his Sharingan techniques, his physical abilities were somewhat lacking.

"Heh, maybe you've just gotten weaker." Naruto stated calmly, showing no visible exertion. Indeed, he didn't have to try very hard, the Uchiha in front of him was obiously ninjutsu type and it looked like he had neglected his physical abilities. It didn't really surprise him, Sasuke was always one who copied, but never learned. Lee's taijutsu style during the chuunin exams were a prime example.

As those words left his mouth, an intense surge of black chakra emanated from the black haired boy. His skin turned purple, and a set of large grotesque wing sprouted from his back. Sasuke obviously didn't take to well comment.

Leaping back before he got overpowered, Naruto shook his head as he saw what his former teammate had become. Running through a set of about five hand signs he began his counter attack.

"Futon : Renkudan" he said as he opened his mouth and fired a salvo of wind bullets at the demonic looking figure.

With what seemed like ease, Sasuke used his large wings to cover his body and absorb the wind bullets.

"Katon : Gouryuuka" Sasuke roared back, winds spreading open and mouth wide opened as a large dragon head shot out, towards his opponent.

"Suiton : Suiryuudan" Naruto responded back, running through a fairly lone sequence of seals. As the words left his mouth, the water below rose up and took the form of a dragon. Charging forward, the water dragon impacted the fire dragon, and an explosion of steam was the result.

As the steam cleared, Naruto caught sight of an unharmed Sasuke standing, glaring at him and breathing fairly hard,

_'Hmmm'_ he thought, being careful not to look into the Uchiha's eyes. _'He must have put a lot of chakra into that attack to defeat a water element of the same level.'_

Sasuke snarled as he saw Naruto still standing there, looking calm and composed. _ 'He should be ashes'_ he thought angrily _'How dare he defy me!?'._ Surging nearly all of his remaining reserves into his right eye, he prepared for last next attack.

Naruto's eyes widened as he felt the intense surge of chakra coming from the demonic looking figure. Sneaking a quick peek, he noticed Sasuke's eyes, they had changed. His eye had become black, and a red six pointed star was prominently displayed in the middle. _'Mangekyou Sharingan'_ Naruto thought, a bit of dread pooling in his stomach. The final stage of the Uchiha bloodline was an extremely powerful tool and an equally fearsome adversary. Quickly jumping to shore, he tried to prepare himself for the incoming jutsu.

"Amaterasu" Sasuke screamed, his right eye beginning to bleed. Black flames materialized in the air, and upon his command, quickly shot towards the blond ninja.

_'Crap' _Naruto mentally swore. He knew all to well the power of the black flames. '_There is only one thing I can do' _he thought, unconsciously placing his hands in a cross hand sign. "Kage Bunshin" he said as a clone poofed into existence at his side. Holding out his hand, he began to gather chakra and rotate it into his palm. As soon as the sphere began to take shape, the clone place its hands over the ball and pushed wind chakra into it.

"Futon : Rasen Shuriken" he called out, now holding the normal form of the Rasengan inside what looked like four shuriken like blades jutting out of it giving it a diameter of about 3 feet.

Placing his post powerful jutsu in front of the black flames, Naruto could only thing one thing. _ 'I hope this works.'_

Sasuke began to laugh as he saw the flames hit the blond. "HAHAHA" he screamed into the heavens, curse seal retreating and falling to his knees in exhaustion. "You thought a pathetic wind jutsu would defeat the Sharingan; Uzumaki, you fool!"

"W-Wha..?" He stuttered taking in the sight in front of him. The black flames were disappearing, as if they were being destroyed by some sort of unseen force, and in the middle was Uzumaki Naruto, missing his right arm and blood dripping from all points in his body.

"H-HOW?!" Sasuke yelled in anger, and no small amount of fear as he gaze fell upon his opponent, who was not turn to ash by his jutsu.

"Simple" Naruto began in a strained voice, forcing his body towards the downed Uchiha. "Rasen Shuriken attacks at the cellular level. I've seen and studied a sample of Amaterasu's flames that Jiraya-sensei collected. In essence, I broke the flame apart, and forced all oxygen out of the area, rendering the flame useless." he finished. "Though as you can see" he continued, idly motioning towards his missing right arm and profusely bleeding body. "Rasen Shuriken was not designed to be used like that." With a visible effort, Naruto came close to the Uchiha, who by now was far to exhausted to move. "Sasuke" Naruto began, drawing his last kunai, and bringing it towards the cowering Uchiha's neck. "You have betrayed Konoha, allied yourself with Akatsuki, and declared was against the five shinobi villages, I sentence you to death." With a quick slip of his wrist, the kunai sliced through flesh, and Sasuke Uchiha was no more.

The kunai clattered against the rocky shore, as a thump echoed throughout the valley.

"Ugh" Naruto moaned in agony, his body betraying him and blackness creeping into his vision.

_'Rasen Shuriken is a double edge sword'_ he thought, breathing becoming difficult, '_I had to encompass my entire body with its blades, and the wind ravaged my organs, not even the fox will be able to heal this amount of damage. At least the village will be okay.'_ he thought as he struggled to flip himself over, there would be no way he would die face in the dirt after all.

_'The sky sure is beautiful'_ he thought, as darkness overtook him _'As Shikamaru would say, dying sure is troublesome.'_

--(End Flashback)--

"Boy, isn't that right" Naruto complained to nobody in particular. "Being dead is SO boring" he screamed into the blackness.

"Must you be so loud? Your going to give me indigestion." a voice from behind him said.

Quick as a flash, Naruto turned around and got into a fighting position, ready to face his foe.

What he saw frightened him to his very core. The figure was tall, at least eight feet in height. It had a purple face with red horns jutting out on either side.

"S-Shinigami" Naruto stuttered in fear. It was one of the things he remembered from the scroll of sealing, the demonic face of the god of death.

"Naruto Uzumaki" The Shinigami acknowledged. "Normally I would..discipline... someone who causes such a ruckus, but you are a special case" it said, feeling some glee as he saw the blonds rapidly paling face and frantic heart rate.

"H-How so" Naruto stuttered out, trying to regain his bearing. It was not everyday one meets the one responsible for a lifetime of suffering, and then there was the fact that said being was a god.

"A soul for a soul. That was the contract between myself and and your Yondaime Hokage." the Shinigami began, an unreadable look in its face. It looked like it was reading a pre-written script. "Since I have limited control over the powers of hell, it has taken two hundred of your years to purge the Kyuubi no Kitsune from your system. Now that the contract has be fulfilled I have to decide what to do with you." it finished, gazing into Naruto's eyes.

Naruto fidgeted as the deity's gaze met his eyes, he felt as if his entire being was being judged, and his soul was in front him, left for all to see.

"I see" the Shinigami mused as he weighted the boy's soul. Never before had it seen such a radiant soul. "Because of my influence, you cannot return to your own world, such is divine law. On the other hand, I am also partially responsible for you, again, part of divine law. What to do, what to do.."

Naruto, while this was going on was panicking. While he had wished something would happen to brighten his life, this was far more than he bargained for.

"That will work" the Shinigami finally said after several seconds of contemplation. With a quick snap of its fingers the Shinigami watched as the protesting blond was carried away in a flash of light.

"Maybe now my stomach ache will stop"

--(With Naruto)--

Naruto cracked open his eyes and felt the hard ground beneath him.

_'Where am I'_ he thought, as he blinked his eyes, trying to clear his vision. _'And what exactly happened to me, there was Sasuke, black flames...and then just blank.'_

Vision finally clearing, he looked around and caught sight of a cluster of houses around him, with other, commercial looking building scattered about. Quickly getting to his feet, he hurried to a house and knocked on the door.

"Yes" the voice of a women said, answering the door. She was rather plain looking, with brown hair and a mildly attractive face.

"Where exactly am I?" Naruto asked, using every ounce of his ninja training not to panic.

"Oh" The women said, gaining a sympathetic look "You are in Junrinan, the west district of Rukongai. Home of departed souls."

--

**A/N: Well.....there it is.....better the first version so far? Please review, it means a lot to me and I'm going to need to input to improve my writing. I've done a sketch of Naruto's Zanpakuto with my pitiful drawing skills, do any of you want me to post it when I show his sword? If you don't want to brave my drawing I understand, I would be wary too.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Talking"

_'thinking'_

**"Hollow Talking"**

_**'Hollow Thinking'**_

Zanpakuto Talking/Thinking

--(Scene Change)--

-(Location)-

**Neither Naruto nor Bleach belong to me. If they did, Naruto would be way less stupid. Bleach is awesome as it is. I would probably give Ichigo a cooler ban-kai though. Tensa Zangetsu is awesome, don't get me wrong, but compared to other ban-kai, its power falls short. It would suit Ichigo better as shikai, at least I think so.**

**A/N: .........and chapter 2. I got this chapter written faster than I thought, try not to expect similar update time though. For those of you who don't like me changing the pairing and zanpakuto, I'm sorry. I think that Naruto with a wind type zanpakuto is WAY overdone. That, plus the fact that my original zanpakuto wasn't the best...it just didn't work right. The pairing may stay the same, I haven't really decided yet. I can't really write romance (Admittedly I haven't tried yet either), so I may just not pair him with anyone. One think I struggle with is writing Rangiku. She seems SO much like Tsunade, it would be hard to write. Tsunade was like a mother figure to Naruto, it seems...wrong to pair him with someone so similar. I personally am leaning towards the possibility of Unohana, I don't know...it just seems like a good fit to me. We'll see I guess.**

**I hope you enjoy, and please review.**

Chapter II : Rukongai

--

"I'm dead?" Naruto asked, though it was more a statement than a question, not that the lady knew that.

"I'm afraid so" the woman answered with a sad smile as she looked at the boy with a sympathetic gaze. "You can't remember your death? Poor dear... Would you like to come in, perhaps have a cup of tea?"

"No...no thank you." Naruto replied with a shake of his head. He really didn't feel like talking about the bizarre nature of his death. Heck, he didn't even know if anyone from the Elemental Nations was here in this Rukongai place. "Just what is Rukongai?" he asked, trying to divert the conversation.

"Rukongai is divided into four regions" the woman explained with patience, "The North, South, East and West. Each of these regions is then comprised of eighty separate districts. These 360 districts make up Rukongai. The further you get from the first district of each region, the more lawless and cutthroat it gets. We are the lucky ones here. Living in the first district, we enjoy wealth and peace most district's can only dream of." she finished with a sad smile, as if recalling scenes of poverty

"Have you ever heard of Konoha?" Naruto asked slowly, trying to phrase his question right as to not appear, weird. He had a...feeling, that would be the best word for it, that his current location had nothing to do with the Elemental Nations and that he might stick out like a sore thumb if he explained his situation.

"Leaf Village?" the woman asked, eyebrows raised with a questioning look in her eyes. "Such a strange name, I'm sorry, I've never heard of such a place, here, or in the stories I've heard of the living world."

"That's okay" Naruto replied with a large, fake smile, any hope of returning hope draining away "I'm not even sure how I know that name" he lied through his teeth "its kind of weird."

"Yes" the woman replied with an understanding smile, "Most souls only remember bits and pieces from their life, its not abnormal."

A couple of seconds of silence passed between the two, as Naruto took a bit more time to take in his surroundings and gather his frantic mind.

"What is that wall?" Naruto, gesturing to the brilliant white stone wall that spanned as far as the eye could see which had caught his attention. Impressive would be an understatement.

"T-That" the women stuttered, face paling at an alarming rate. "W-Well that wall encircles another area of Soul Society." she finished lamely avoiding giving an answer.

"What's in there?" Naruto probed, his interest peaked seeing the reaction. _'Is it that scary?' _he thought to himself, not understanding the fear this women radiated.

"N-Never mind" the lady said frantically looking left and right as if some invisible power would come and take her away "Its nothing important."

"But...why so panicked?" Naruto asked, his curiosity now seriously peaked.

"G-Go away" the lady yelled, backing into the doorway. "We don't talk about THEM here." and with that, she slammed the door in Naruto's face.

_'Well that went well.'_ he thought sarcastically, obviously annoyed _'whoever "they" are...they must be charming.'_

--(Later)--

_'Soul Society eh?'_ Naruto thought, kicking a rock and watching it fly through the air. It was after he had gleaned some information from that lady, he never did get her name. _ 'I'm dead huh_' he thought, as he gave a sigh '_Not really a surprise, but it would be nice to know where I am and how I got here.'_ Whenever he tried to think of something after Sasuke, he came up blank, as if something was blocking his memory. It was one of the most annoying things he had ever experienced.

"I hope they're okay" he said looking to the blue sky above him and seeing the faces of his friends in the clouds.

_'I'm sorry guys'_ he thought, seeing their faces smiling down at him. _'I know you guy's will survive. Live without me, and bring Konoha to new heights.' he thought as the faces of his friends seemed to nod 'And like any good ninja, I'll adapt. Maybe this won't turn out to be so bad, but right now, I'm so confused.'_

_'Sasuke...' _He pondered as the faces of his friends disappeared and the silhouette of the black haired avenger flooded into his vision _'Did your hatred consume you that much? Did you honestly think that you alone could bring the five great ninja villages down to their knee's? Was this Orochimaru's doing, Itachi's, or were you merely a product of the fate of the Uchiha clan? A clan born of hatred, and a clan who would be destined for terrible things.'_

Shaking his head, and clearing out the depressing thoughts, he re-focused upon the situation ahead. _'According to that lady, there is a North, South, East, and West district of Rukongai. Right now, I'm in the first district of West Rukongai, Junrinan.'_ he thought, recalling the limited details the women offered._ 'The further away from the center you proceed, the more lawless the land gets. It must have something do you with that circular wall, but she wouldn't tall me anything about it. Some sort of military force perhaps. It would explain why crime would increase the further away from the epicenter you get, but why would people be so afraid of them?'_ he thought, confused.

As he thought about this, his feet led him away from the group of houses and up a grassy hill beneath a range of mountains that seemed to over look Junrinan and beyond.

_'Whoa'_ he thought as his gaze re focused and he caught sight of the tremendous expanse of settlement in front of him. _'Its massive' _he thought as he looked onward. _ 'I can't even see a curve of that wall, whatever it encircles, its massive as well.'_ in front of him he could see out for several kilometers. A assortment of houses and various other building littered the area, and Naruto was sure it extended far beyond his visual range.

With a sigh, the ex-shinobi, dropped to his knees, closed his eyes and entered into a trance. Meditation was one of the things that Jiraya had pounded into his head. Apparently it was need to learn the higher level toad techniques, though Naruto never did get around to learning them he did remember Jiraya mumbling something about sages, oil, and cranky old ladies, whatever that meant..

_'Maybe the stupid fox will know something' _he thought as he forcibly entered his mind. _'Might as well be of use'_

--(Inside his mind-scape)--

White. That was what Naruto saw, gone was the sewer that normally held the Kyuubi no Kitsune, and in its place was a white void.

"What the hell!" Naruto yelled as he felt himself awash in a setting so unfamiliar.

_"Watch your language"_ came a reproachful, feminine voice from what seemed like everywhere around him.

"Who are you, and where I am?" Naruto asked trying not to sound surprised, but still sounding a fair bit harsher and more demanding than normal.

"Heh, you have yet to earn the right for me to reveal my name and domain to you, Naruto Uzumaki" the voice spoke out, power resonating throughout the area.

"How do you know my name?" Naruto asked with narrowed eyes "and just where is the fox?"

_"The fox?"_ The voice replied back, a slight mocking tone apparent "And here I thought you were smart. You and the Kyuubi no Kitsune were tied together in life, now that your spirit has departed the Earth, you and the fox are separated. As for how I know you..." it continued, a slight teasing tone replacing the mocking one "I know you far better than you know yourself."

"This is my mind" Naruto said firmly, his eyes narrowing "You WILL tell me who you are."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Naruto fell to his knees, and had to position his hands on the 'ground' to keep his head level.

_'S-Such overwhelming power'_ he thought as sweat poured down his face and his arms began to shake _'W-What is this pressure?'_ he mentally screamed as fear overtook him.

"Do you honestly think you can make demands here of all places?" the voice, now hard as steel said, as the pressure continued to grow. "You truly are a fool, no wonder you were killed by such a pitiful being."

As the last sentence entered Naruto's ear's, his eyes became alight with anger and unknown to him, began to glow. "SHUT UP" he yelled struggling to his feet, emitting a light blue glow that arched around him. "DON'T EVEN TALK ABOUT THAT" he screamed into the white void, not noticing the weight upon him unraveling "IT'S BECAUSE OF HIM, I'LL NEVER SEE MY FRIENDS AGAIN. IT'S BECAUSE OF HIM I WON'T BE ABLE TO PROTECT THEM. IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT DAMMED UCHIHA CLAN THE NINJA WORLD IS IN TURMOIL." he finished, tears now flowing down his face, glaring into the white expanse. "Don't even pretend to understand such things" he whispered, voice carrying throughout the entire void.

With heavy breaths he tried to calm himself, but before he could full succeed, his eyes drooped and he fell down, feeling exhausted.

_'Wha...'_ he thought, panting hard as his body protested, as darkness began to overtake his vision. _'What is this feeling. It was like I was on some kind of high, and then came crashing down. I've never felt this before'_

As darkness began to prevail, Naruto caught sight of a blurry feminine figure wearing a while dress and had black hair that reached down to her shoulders, though he couldn't make out anything more than that, kneeling beside him.

"Congratulations" the figure said, gently running her fingers through his hair "It seems your not as hopeless as I thought. Remember this, never show fear, and never hesitate, it will only lead to death. Just like back in life, you posses the power to changes the world. Remember that Naruto Uzumaki. Learn to control your powers, and when the time is right, we will meet again." With that being said, the figure gently kissed his forehead, and his inner world faded into nothingness.

--(Normal reality)--

With a start, Naruto sat up, apparently having fallen over during his...experience.

"What happened" he asked aloud, nature offering no answer. "How long was I out?" he wondered, noticing the sun significantly higher in the sky than it was previously.

With a large sigh he got to his feet and recalled the conversation he had with the unknown female inside his head.

_'The fox is gone eh?' _he mused, as his walked around pondering what the heck just happened to him. _'Can't say I'm to sorry. But who was that woman, and what was she doing in my head.'_ he thought to himself, approaching the mountain ahead of him._ 'Learn to control my power huh?' _he thought as he looked up the imposing natural structure ahead.

It was very imposing. A truly massive mountain range was ahead of him. It was on the western most border of the Junrinan, and from he gathered, nobody lived nearby the range, making it the perfect place to train. Control, it was not a word normally associated with the blond, but he had taken tremendous strides to improve chakra control back in life. Mt. Myobokuzan, home of the toad summons. That was where Jiraya had taught chakra control. As he had explained it, there was no place where one could learn to control chakra than immersed in nature. He hoped the same rules applied here. Hopefully he could find a plateau of some kind to set up base.

_'I felt that energy, it was like chakra, but more refined and yet more primal at the same time. Control, I guess its not a bad idea. Only one way to go' _he thought as he tensed his muscles and grabbed hold of the first foothold he could find _'Up' _and with that, he began to climb up the mountain. If there was one thing his teacher's taught him throughout the years, it was "no pain, no gain". It always took effort to learn things. And Naruto was one to learn things the hard way.

_'I will find out who you were'_ he vowed to himself as he thought about the blurry, female figure. As he thought about it, he could have sworn he heard some laughter in the back of his head.

--(Five years later)--

-(Mountain Range, West Junrinan)-

Retsu Unohana was many things. The most accomplished healer in all of Seireitei. The captain of the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13. A kind and gentle women who loved, and was loved by all of her division members. Right now, Retsu Unohana was out of her Shihakusho, and was dressed in sturdy, mountain climbing equipment. The last few years had been hard for the Gotei 13, loosing 6 captain's at one time was a devastating blow, and it was only now that things were righting themselves.

_'Its been awhile since I've been able to do this' _she thought to herself as she stared at the base of the mountain. The residents of Junrinan had warned her not to go on the mountains, something about light shows. It was rather amusing to hear the concern directed to a Shinigami captain, even if they didn't know she was a captain, or a Shinigami at all.

Climbing mountains in Rukongai had always been a hobby of hers. While she did truly did love her subordinates, sometimes she just needed to get away and relax. Plus, a lot of rare medical herbs could only be found at higher evolution.

As she climbed, she noticed the amount of sweat building up on her brow.

_'I'm really out of shape'_ she thought she gained a sturdier footing, and wiped the sweat from her face. _'Its only been a few hours and I'm already tired.'_

With a brilliant feat of control, she looked up, and sprang, landing on a ledge above her.

What she saw next shocked her. The clearing ahead of her was breathtaking. A scattering of tree offered a nice amount of shade. Several tranquil pools of water seemed to glisten in the sunlight. None of this shocked her, what really shocked her were the craters in the ground, and the person responsible for said craters.

A scream of "RASENGAN" rang out through the area, and an explosion of dirt clouded her vision.

--

**Once again a bit shorter than I would like, but its better than nothing I guess. I got it written a lot quicker than I thought I would. What do you think of it? Good, bad, terrible? Please review and let me know, its you readers who make me a better writer.**

**What do you think of his Zanpakuto spirit? As you saw, its not an ordinary meeting between wielder and spirit.** **Naruto has to truly earn the right to know her name, should be interesting eh?**

**Next time should show the meeting between the Fourth Division Captain and out favorite blond ninja.**

**Once again, I ask you to please review. I really am never sure if I do a good job, and hearing reviews, be it good or bad really, really helps me with my writing. The positive reviews is one of the reasons this chapter got published so fast.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

"Talking"

_'Thinking"_

**"Hollow Talking"**

**'**_**Hollow Thinking"**_

Zanpakuto Talking/Thinking

--(Scene Change)--

-(Location)-

Neither Naruto nor Bleach belong to me.

**A/N: Chapter 3, front and center. Here we go, prepare yourself. Once again I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors, I suck at proofreading my work. Thank you for those who reviews, I really appreciate it and it inspires me. That, and I do enjoy to hear your opinions of my work. I got this chapter out fairly quickly, and its about the same length as the others. Just to warn you, expect chapter length of around 3k words, it all I can really handle without getting overwhelmed. I hope you enjoy the chapter and please shoot a review and tell me what you think.  
**

Chapter III : First Meetings

--

It took a lot to surprise Retsu Unohana. Being several hundred years old (she didn't bother remembering exact numbers) would do that to you. Now was one of the few moments in all of her...well death, where she was utterly baffled.

_'I didn't sense any reiatsu' _she thought surprised and more than a little startled. '_While it is not unheard of for souls in the Rukongai to posses reiatsu, never have I experienced a soul with the control needed to not emit any reiatsu into the area' s_he pondered, readying herself for possible aggressive action.

She narrowed her eyes slightly as the dust began to clear. _'Whatever that "rasengan" was, it looked powerful. How could a soul of such power have hidden from us?'_ she wondered, cursing the incompetence of the Twelfth Divisions monitoring corps.

"Who are you?" A male voice spoke up from the middle of the dust, surprising her. "I know you're there." he added.

"My name is Retsu Unohana" Retsu replied with a smile, surprised she was sensed, while not actively hiding, she was suppressing much of her reiatsu, such was the norm for any high level Shinigami entering Rukongai. "I am a simple mountaineer, looking for some medicinal herbs" she finished kindly trying not to provoke this mysterious man.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and tensed his muscles as he heard this response form the yet unknown female.

_'There is no way she is a simple mountaineer'_ he thought to himself with annoyance, feeling his eyes narrow in suspicion_ 'It would several hours to get up here, add that to the fact that I didn't even sense her approach. Who is she?'_

"Lair" he said simply as the last of the dust cleared and he could finally take a look at the trespasser. It was not someone he would have had expected from an intruder and a potential threat.

_'She's pretty' _he thought with a slight blush beginning to show on his face as he caught sight of the figure. She had a small, soft face with long black hair that hung loosely at her back. He had gone five years without human contact though, so he may have been somewhat biased.

'Che, she isn't that pretty' the voice in his head spoke, scuffing. The...well, SHE had taken to speaking to Naruto more often during the five years of training, but he still could never see her "domain" as she called it, nor would she give him her name. It frustrated him to no end.

Retsu raised her eyebrows at being called a lair. As captain of the Forth Division, and one of the most powerful people in all of Seireitei, it had been a very long time since someone had been so...blunt to her.

As the dust cleared, she finally was able to see the mysterious person. He was blond, which was a fairly unusual hair color in Soul Society and his hair was tired in a rough ponytail that extended to about his shoulders. He appeared to be about twenty years old, and had an blemish-less face expect for six thin horizontal scars, three on either side on his face.

"Lair?" she questioned calmly with a raised eyebrow, with almost an amused tone "I am a medic, many healing herbs are only found at higher altitudes. If it is alright with you, I would like to gather some. It seems like the perfect place for them to grow." she finished with a small bow, quietly awaiting his answer.

At this, Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly, though not enough to be seen by that Retsu women across from him. _'Medic my ass'_ he thought as he analyzed the "simple" mountaineer in front of him. '_Her stance is perfect. It projects a natural ease and calmness, but she is perfectly balanced, ready to react to anything.'_ he thought, thankful for the lessons on reading people Jiraya had pounded into his head. _'Though, I don't sense any harmful intent.' _he mentally added, a bit surprised at that.

"Fine" he said, closing his eyes, and going against his better judgment. "Over there." he said, pointing over my the pools of water "The herb's your probably looking for grow over by the water. Would you like some help?" he asked. Even though she may had been a threat, it was against his nature not to offer any help at all.

"It would be most welcome" the women replied with a large smile and another small bow as she moved her way towards the direction Naruto pointed at. "Thank you very much."

Retsu gave a quick glance at the blond haired man as she moved passed him and towards the direction he pointed. He had power, that much she was certain, the way he held himself, and the way he seemed to analyze the situation, and the power he projected, even if he was unaware of it. He was a warrior, that much was clear.

Naruto felt so very nostalgic. It was almost eerie, picking up medical herbs with a rather pretty black haired women, it brought him back to the mission to Wave all those years ago.

_'Those were the days' _he thought as he remembered the mission, one of the few where he felt part of an actual team _'heh, I was so innocent back then.'_

Retsu calmly gathered various herbs on her knees, the area was quite well stocked, as she looked over at the blond beside her. He showed surprising knowledge of medical herbs, she didn't even have to instruct him as to the various species.

"What is your name, if you don't mind me asking?" she asked, her voice almost sounding serene.

"Naruto Uzumaki" Naruto replied, continuing to gather herbs, another lesson the toad sage had pounded in his head. Though Naruto secretly thought that Tsunade had instructed, aka threatened, Jiraya to teach him it.

"Naruto" Retsu pondered, letting the name roll off her tongue. "Maelstrom...fitting I suppose. Especially with that unique technique." she said, looking at him from the corner of her eye, trying to gauge his reaction.

Naruto's spine stiffened slightly as he heard those words _'Interesting...'_ he thought with some interest _'She seems almost, apathetic about it, I don't sense any surprise at all. But from what I've seen, the people here have no access to this energy.'_

"Thank you" he replied with a smile, trying to appear chipper "Apparently my name was inspired by the ramen topping though." he finished with a chuckle recalling the first book ever written by Jiraya.

Retsu gave a small chuckle as well, It was quite amusing after all. Though she did wonder what his parents were thinking...

"Tell me" she spoke out after a few seconds of silence. "Why do you fight?" she asked, dusting off any dirt that may had gotten on her shorts.

"W-What?" Naruto stuttered, surprised at the question. Not to mention the fact that the question seemed so familiar...

"I mean, why do you fight, why do you yearn to get stronger." Retsu explained, for the first time pressing for an answer. "What motivates you? Its it to reign over others, to feel better about yourself, what?"

"I-I don't know.." Naruto said after a few seconds contemplation. Indeed he didn't, at first he trained to learn more about that annoying voice in his head, but now...he wasn't so sure.

_'And that's why you will never find out my name'_ the annoying, female voice resonated throughout his head. _'Until you find your reason to right, until you find your purpose, and until you find your resolve, you will never discover my name.'_

"You don't know?" Retsu asked with a raised eyebrow. This was not an answer she expected. The strong, confident blond was gone, and in his place was a confused lost looking young man, it was startling and a little saddening.

"Well...I use to fight for my friends, to protect my home and the people most important to me, but with those gone, I guess I have no idea." he said, trailing off and the end and shrugging his shoulders, once again seeing the faces of his friends and loved ones popping into his vision.

Retsu gave a small, sad smile as she heard those words. It was an unfortunate occurrence that happened all to often to new souls. Many committed suicide as soon as they arrived, not being able to cope with the loss of everything they held dear and being thrown in a new environment.

"Tell me Naruto" Retsu said, turning to fully face the blond "What do you know of Shinigami?" she asked her normal calm and serene voice turning serious. It was a startling change for the kind women.

As the last word left the women's mouth, Naruto's eyes went blank, and he toppled over, blackness taking over.

The last thing he remembered thinking while still conscious was one word. _'Shinigami'_

--(Naruto's Mind)--

Naruto found himself in an unfamiliar location. It was night, that much was obvious by the stars and bright full moon above him. Looking around he saw a group of trees to his left, a large lake to his right, and ahead of him was a wide expanse of grass littered hills.

"What is this?" he asked, aloud to himself, "Where am I?"

"So you can finally see my domain huh?" a familiar voice from behind him spoke.

Whirling around, Naruto finally laid his eyes on the person speaking to him for the last five years.

She looked rather...well strange. Her hair was the first thing he noticed. The right half of her hair was snow white, while the left half was pitch black and it reached down below her shoulders, there was no blending into each other, it was a clear line of separation. She had a rather pretty face as well. Soft set brown eyes, and a small nose also attributed to her pretty features.

She was wearing a white kimono that had golden stars adorning it and had a teal sash going from her left shoulder across to her right side of her body.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked with confusion "I've been hearing you for the last few years, and now I can see you. Just who are you?"

The figure gave a laugh at she gazed upon the confused face of the young man in front of her. "You still haven't earned the right to know my name" she said laughing. "You've discovered the root of your indecision, because of that I am allowing you to see me and my domain. In order to learn my name, YOU must prove yourself to me."

"What more do I have to do?" Naruto asked in exasperation. "I've gotten stronger, I've learned to control this new source of power. What else do you want for me?" he finished, almost screaming at the end.

"You've lost your resolve" the women screamed back, "Haven't you figured it out yet? Your power depends on your will, the power of your soul. Show me your power!."

"Then why did you call me here." Naruto asked in a defeated voice, tears beginning to well up in his eyes, "Why did you bother bringing me here, to boast about what I can't do. If that's the case, you're right, I have nothing left to fight for."

The women looked upon the blond in pity. I was sad to see such a strong person reduced to so little. She had really underestimated what his friends meant to him.

"I brought you here to talk about the Shinigami" she said, changing the subject.

"Heh, Shinigami" Naruto mused, happy for the subject change. It did feel good to let that out though, it felt like a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "So many times did I curse the name, Shinigami. The Shinigami took away my father. The Shinigami took away the Sandaime. The Shinigami condemned me to a life of scorn. I hate that name so much." he finished with a great deal passion.

"You hate YOUR Shinigami" the women said, emphasizing "your" "I know for a fact that you no longer believe that you are in your plane of existence anymore. Why should you associate two totally different entities."

"That's why you brought me hear?" Naruto asked in a deadpan voice. "To tell me that?"

"Che, I needed to make sure you didn't die." The women replied, scoffing. "I imagined that as soon as you heard the word "Shinigami" you would attack her" she said. "And let me tell you this." she continued in a deathly serious voice "That women's power, it far eclipses your own."

"She's...more powerful than me?" he asked dubiously, "Sure, she seems a bit dangerous, but I'm not exactly defenseless" he said, defending himself.

"It because you are a fool" the woman hissed back in response. "That women makes you seems like an infant in comparison. Sure, you have the potential to match or exceed her given the training, but right now, you're nothing more than an annoying cockroach. To put it simply, comparing her to you, is like comparing an academy student to a kage."

Naruto's eyes went wide and his complexion turned pale at these words. Sure he didn't trust the spirit as far as he could throw her, but all her omissions up to this point were truthful and he never felt any ill intent from her.

"W-What the hell is she?" he stuttered, shocked at the spirits casual reference of such levels of power. Sure, he knew he may not be the most powerful person in the world, but for that comparison? What the hell was she made of.

"What do you think she is?" the women asked as if Naruto as an idiot. "And actually use your brain this time."

As Naruto thought about it, it was simple. "Shinigami" he said simply, though the single word said everything.

"Good" the women praised with a smile "Now, think like a ninja, what and who do you think the Shinigami are?"

A few seconds past as Naruto went into deep thought. Five years of rust was ground out of his system and his ninja instincts came back full force, and it was like his view of the entire world changed.

"They live in the area protected by that wall" he said, suddenly realizing several things. "They are the military force that everyone is afraid of."

The women gave a smile as she heard this, "Good job" she said, some praise in her voice "It seems there is still some ninja instinct left in you. Good, I thought it had all died out. Tell you what, I'll even let you leave with a parting gift."

With those words, the world he found himself in, faded, and once again he found himself in an annoying situation.

_'Not again' _he groaned, as the last of his surroundings turned black. _'She is so troublesome.'_

Before everything went black, he heard a couple of parting words "Try not to die before we meet again."

--(Outside World)--

As soon as he awoke, he saw his entire body glowing a green color, very similar to that of medical chakra.

"Good, you're awake" Restu said with relief visible in her voice, worry lining her her face.

"Ya, sorry about that." Naruto said sheepishly, sitting up and scratching the back of his head. "I don't know what came over me."

Retsu looked at Naruto and gave him a small smile. "I see..." she began trailing off slightly and gaining a more serious tone. "Tell me Naruto, how long have you heard that voice in your head?"

Naruto's eyes flew open. "W-what?" he stuttered, wondering how the hell she knew about that.

Retsu gave an almost mischievous smile. "This appeared by you" she said, handing him a long, thin object as if it explained everything.

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he caught sight of the object, it was a katana. The handle a teal green color and was around 10 inches long. The blade was about 3 feet in length, and looked like it was make out of ordinary steel. The only slightly unusual thing was the tsuba, which was a rather ornate circular structure, not normally found in combat blades.

'What is this' he thought, as he admired the blade. It just felt...right in his hand. 'Is this that gift the women told me about.' as he thought those words, he could have sworn the sword gave a pulse underneath his fingers.

"So Naruto" Retsu said to him, breaking him out of his stupor. "How would you like to accompany me to Seireitei?"

--

**There we go, chapter 3 complete.**

**How was it, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter yet...Ahh well. Please review and tell me what you think.**

**I did promise I would post a pic of his sword, so here it is. **

neolithicmonarch(dot)deviantart(dot)com/art/NLDD-Naruto-Sealed-Zanpakuto-143015133

**If you could, I would appreciate it if you left a review here on FF and tell me how it is. Remember though, my drawing skill suck, so my bad there.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Talking"

_'Thinking"_

**"Hollow Talking"**

_**'Hollow Thinking"**_

Zanpakuto Talking/Thinking

--(Scene Change)--

-(Location)-

**A/N: **Chapter 4 online. I'll admit, I wanted to get more done in this chapter, but I have been really busy lately. I don't know when the next chapter will be out, like I said , I've been really busy and don't know when I'll have time. Sorry.

Anyway, I hope you like the chapter, it has some more Naruto/Retsu interaction which I hope I did well. Please tell me what you think and enjoy!

Chapter IV : Learning The Ropes

--

_'How the hell did I get myself into this' _Naruto thought as stood in front of an extremely old looking man sitting in a throne like chair who was looking at him with an intense gaze.

It had been simple at first, or so he thought. He really had nothing better to do, plus he had a feeling he would be going whether he agreed or not. The trek down the mountain was rather easy, as was the walk to the huge wall. The Retsu women was nice, almost startlingly so, she make for a good conversation as they talked about trivial things until they reached the wall.

Then the weird stuff began to happen. This ape like creature, that looked about thirty feet tall came down from nowhere, surprising the hell out of him. Retsu had talked to him, and they were allowed entrance though a large wooden gate, which had to be lifted up by the gigantic creature.

As the walked through the area, Naruto was amazed at its difference from Junrinan. While Junrinan was by no means a slum, it simply couldn't compare to the splendor to Seireitei. It would be like comparing a hot dog stand to a five star restaurant.

Giving a mental sigh, he remembered the...enlightening conversation they had prior to arrival at the First Division headquarters.

--(Flashback)--

As they walked down the cobblestone road Naruto noticed a lot of people wearing black uniforms bowing to Retsu, who was smiling at them.

"Quite popular here, aren't you" he recalled remarking to her as he saw this show of respect. "Hard to believe such respect would be given to a simple medic"

Retsu gave the blond beside him an amused look as she heard those words. She could almost see the faces of various Shinigami pale as the heard the disrespect given to a captain of the Gotei 13.

"I suppose I never did properly introduce myself" she mused out loud. "My name is Retsu Unohana, captain of the fourth division of the Gotei 13."

"Captain eh?" Naruto asked, noticing the title she gave. "So, does that mean among the Shinigami ranks, you're one of the strongest?"

Retsu raised an eyebrow as she heard this. "Interesting" she said, a bit impressed "I never said anything about Shinigami except for that tidbit on the mountain, did you infer all of this yourself? To answer your question though, yes. Among the ranks of Shinigami, the captains rank as the most powerful."

"I see..." Naruto said as his bangs covered his eyes "and can I assume that among the ranks of captains, you are among the top."

At this Retsu narrowed her eyes slightly. Naruto's predictions were accurate, alarmingly so. "What makes you think that?" she asked softly.

"Never mind" Naruto replied, a small smile forming as he heard the response "That's all I need to know."

"Since you introduced yourself fully, it would only be polite to do so as well I guess." he said suddenly after a few seconds of silence. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze" he said, looking up the the sky and seeing the faces of all of his friends back in life like he had those long years ago. This time was a bit different though, they were waving to him, as if saying goodbye. "I am the Rokudaime Hokage" he said, smiling towards the heavens as the image of his friends faded from view, never to be seen again. Unknown to him, his sword gave a soft pulse, as if satisfied somehow.

--(End Flashback)--

Now, Naruto was not one to be intimidated easily, much less by feeble looking old men, but this guy was scary. He didn't look like much, in fact, he looked like he would be blown over in the gentlest wind.

It was his power that was overwhelming. While Retsu's was always under control, and hidden beneath the surface, this man's power filled the room. Naruto could feel an almost fiery feel to his energy, it felt like he was suffocating.

"Interesting" the old man said at last. His voice was very deep, and it was like his words themselves held tremendous amounts of power. He had to consciously stop a shiver from forcing its way through his body.

As if someone had flipped a light switch, the power receded and Naruto felt about a thousand pounds lighter.

Feeling his face, he was surprised to see sweat built up on his face. Hastily wiping it away with his sleeve, he stared at the old man.

_'What the hell is he' _he thought, he was actually panting from the exertion. '_This presence, it feels even more immense than the Kyuubi. How is this possible'_

"It is as Unohana had said." The old man mused, stroking his beard and hiding his surprise under an air of nonchalance. "You are very impressive, to withstand my reiatsu to such an extent, it is a feat not many can accomplish."

"Errr, not to be rude" Naruto replied, confused. "But how could Retsu tell you anything, and what is reiatsu."

"Refer to her as Captain Unohana" the old man growled out in annoyance, "As for your question's, reiatsu is the power of the soul. The energy which allows Shinigami to preform incredible acts. As for how I know about you, Captain Unohana send a hell butterfly ahead to inform me of your arrival."

"I see..." Naruto said, resisting to urge to roll his eyes. How the hell was that suppose to help him? He could have figured that out himself. "So why exactly am I hear?" he asked politely. Hey, he may not like the old man in front of him, but he could sure the hey tell the difference in power.

"Captain Unohana had sent me a hell butterfly, detailing a powerful soul she had discovered in Rukongai. She requested that I personally judge you, and determine your fate. Of course, I was skeptical, but now I can see why." the old man said, in his deep, powerful tone. "You hold much power in you" he said, looking him in the eyes. "It has been a long time since someone has manifested their own zanpakuto without outside assistance."

"Zanpakuto?" Naruto questioned, letting the word roll off his tongue.

"Your sword" the old man said, gesturing to the blade now held at the blonds side. "It will all be explained in time." he said finality. As those words left his mouth, the door to the room opened, and the black haired Shinigami woman stepped back in the room. "Captain Unohana has agreed to show you around, ask her any questions you may have" he said gruffly, nodding to the two, obviously a dismissal.

Scampering out of the room as quickly as he could, Naruto now found himself walking down a cobblestone road with the Shinigami captain once again.

"So, Ret...errr Captain Unohana" Naruto said, just catching himself at the end, remembering the old man's warning. If this woman's power was anything like the old man's, it might be a good idea to not say anything insulting.

"Its alright" Retsu said with a smile directed at the blond "I see the commander spoke with you. You can call me Retsu if you like Naruto, it is nice to hear my first name now and then."

"Errr...okay Retsu" Naruto said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head "So..." he said, trailing off, "What's going to happen to me and why do I not seem to get a choice?" he finally asked, raising an eyebrow at the end.

The black haired woman gave a reassuring smile. "Its for the best" she said "Those who posses reiastu are immediately entered in the Shinou Academy, where you will learn the four arts of being a Shinigami. Hakuda, or hand to hand combat. Hoho, or agility training. Kido, or demon magic. And then finally, Zanjutsu, or the art of the sword. As for why you need to enter, its quite simple. Those who have reiatsu not only feel hunger and thirst, while normal citizen's do not, but those with sufficient power can have adverse effects on those around them." she finished, hoping her explanation was sufficient.

"I see..." Naruto answered, digesting the information. "What exactly is a zanpakuto?" he asked curiously.

Retsu smiled as she heard the question, she knew it was only a matter of time before that subject came up. "A zanpakuto is the weapon of a Shinigami. It is born form our soul. No two Shinigami wield the same blade, just as no two souls are the same. When a Shinigami learns of their zanpakuto's spirit, they are allowed to use the next level of power, called Shikai." she explained.

"So then that voice...." Naruto trailed off, thinking about that women in his head.

"Yes" Retsu replied, "It is your Zanpakuto spirit. I assume its tried to tell you its name." she asked.

"Eh, no" Naruto replied sheepishly, "Is she suppose to?" he asked curiously, tilting his head slightly.

Retsu raised an eyebrow at this comment. "Yes" she responded, a bit perplexed "A zanpakuto normally tries to inform its wielder of their name as soon as they can see them. I have never heard of a case where a zanpakuto spirit refuses to give its name. This is what's happening to you?" she asked.

"Hehe, yeah I guess" Naruto said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "She refuses to even try to tell he her name. She keeps saying I have to earn the right." he mused.

"Interesting" Restu replied, mind working furiously. _'Such a stubborn Zanpakutpo spirit.' _she pondered in her head. _'Such an experiance almost sounds like a Shinigami attempting to preform Ban-Kai.'_

"It is unique" she admitted. "But I wouldn't worry about it to much" she reassured with a smile.

"So...." Naruto trailed off, "this Shinou Academy, whats it like?" he asked.

Retsu's eyes became a bit unfocused as she remembered her own days at the academy. "It is rather enjoyable." she said, thinking of all the fun she had, before the responsibilities of captaincy. "The normal curriculum lasts for four years, though from what I saw, you could finished in substantially less time. Souls from all over Rukongai attend, its a good opportunity to meet new people." she explained.

_'Sounds a lot like the Ninja Academy back in Konoha."_ Naruto thought, listening to the explanation. _"This time, at least I won't be so foolish."_ he thought with a mental chuckle, thinking back on his younger days. While he didn't like that he had once been so naive, he did miss the days when life seemed more simple.

"It should be fun then" Naruto said with a true smile, one of his firsts in a long time. "It will be nice to meet some new people."

"I imagine" Retsu replied, looking at the blond. "You must have gotten pretty lonely up their in the mountains by yourself."

"Yeah, sort of" Naruto replied, closing his eyes for a couple of seconds. "On one hand, I really needed the time alone. But on the other, I guess I really did need come company."

Retsu gave a small, content smile as the looked at the blond out of the corner of her eye. He had changed quite a bit from the man she saw hours previous. He seemed more weary, yet there was a spark of fire present as well. It was most curious.

"You are most welcome to visit my division while you have off time" she said. She really did enjoy his company as well. Something was really unique about him, it intrigued her.

"Your division?" Naruto questioned with a small frown. While he knew she was a captain, and she had to lead somebody, he was a tad confused about what the divisions were.

"Yes" Retsu replied, giving a wave to a couple of passing Shinigami who were in a deep bow. "There are thirteen divisions. I am the captain of the fourth division of the Gotei 13. After graduation, you will be assigned to a division." she informed.

"I see" Naruto mused, mulling it over. It was a rather simple command structure he guessed. "What does your squad do exactly?" he asked curiously.

"We are the healing and support squad" she answered, raising her eyebrow at the blond, almost as if daring him to say something about it.

"Eh?" Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "So you really are a medic huh?" he asked a bit nervous. In his experience, medics he knew always liked to hit him for some reason.

Retsu gave a chuckle at this. "I am a medic, the mountains house some of the best medical herbs. My division is responsible for the healing of other's. Its a job taken up by those devoted to helping others. Do you understand?" she asked, suddenly turning serious.

"Yeah" Naruto said, bangs hanging over his eyes as he thought about two medic's dear to his heart. The Hachibi was a powerful foe, quite possibly the most dangerous threat the shinobi alliance had faced. He remembered when the news arrived, that the Hachibi had attacked their major medical facility. Sakura and Tsunade managed to destroy the beast, but as the cost of their lives. It was there it was discovered that only the Shinigami had the ability the destroy the Bijuu, at the cost of two human souls. "I understand" he said with a smile. The loss of those two still hurt, but he knew they would want him to get over it. He was the Rokudaime after all.

"I see..." Retsu replied, but before she could continue, she caught sight of the great gates that surrounded the academy. "Well it seems we will have to continue this another time" she remarked as a nondescript looking Shinigami came up to her, gave a deep bow and handed her a few sheets of paper and a key.

"Hmmm" she hummed as she looked over the papers. "Here" she said as she handed over two sheets of paper and the key. "The first has your class list and the second has your room assignment and map."

Before she could say anymore, a black butterfly lander in he finger. "I'm sorry" she said apologetically, "But something has come up in my division, I must take my leave"

With those words, she disappeared from view, thought Naruto could have sworn he heard her swear softly "damn eleventh division"

With a sigh, Naruto took a look at the map, and made his way towards his room. On his way he thought about what he had learned the day. '_This is a lot to take in'_ he thought, slightly disgruntled. _'I wanted to get away from the killing, the death and yet it appears I've been thrown into it, head first.'_

Before this disruptive train of thought consumed him, he had arrived at the door to his room. Shrugging his shoulders he placed the key in the lock and opened the door......to almost walk straight into someone.

"Opps" Naruto he said, narrowly avoiding a tangle. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, I guess I'm your room-mate" he said, somewhat lamely.

"Hey" came the almost shy voice of the figure ahead of him "My name is Kira, Kira Izuru."

--

**A/N:**

**And...stop. How was it? I'm not sure if went the best, but it was what flowed I guess. I hope the character interaction went okay, its kinda hard to write. As you have noticed, Naruto events are greatly different from canon, but that's okay I guess. I don't know when the next chapter will get up, hopefully not to long for now, but I wanted to get this one out now. **

**Please enjoy, and I would be grateful if you told me what you think.  
**


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